Locking and cleaning coke oven door



Patented May 2 8, 1940 2,202,395 I fLooKING AND CLEANING COKE OVEN noon Carl Otto, Essen, and Eberhard Grasshofl, Bochum, Germany; said Grasshofl, assignor, by mesne assignments, to the firm Otto-Wilputte Ovenbouw Maatschappij N. V., The Hague, Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands, and said Otto, assignor'to Fuel Refining Cor-' porat ion, Dover, DeL,

ware

a corporation of Dela- 'ApplicationDecember s; 1937, Serial No. 178,706

In Germany December 28, 1936' i 12 Claims. (01. 202-248) The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved self-sealing coke oven door especially adapted for use in a horizontal coking oven. More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide a coke oven door in cluding spring means which limit and determine the sealing pressure with which sealing edge of the usual flexible sealing means carried by the door bears against the cooperatingsealing surface of the doorway when the door is locked in its closed position, and which are so associated with door locking means that the door may be automatically locked and released by respective down and up, movements given the rigid outer portion of the door whereby the door locking and releasing operations maybe effected by the action of a simple door machine having any usual or suitable meansforfengaging the door to raise and lower the latterduring the door removing and replacing operations. v

In each door unlocking and removing operation, and in each door closing and locking operation, the sealing edge of the flexible sealing means carried by the door 'is moved parallel to the door frame sealing surface while being pressed firmly against said surface, whereby said surface and sealing edgecoact to clean'each other. This cleaning action insures a gas-tight joint in the locked condition of the closure under conditions in which the joint would be leaky, if

the parts were not cleaned.

Our invention in its preferred forms, comprises special provisions for augmenting the extentand effectiveness of the above described sealing action, and includes provisions for strengthening the sealing edge portion of the flexiblesealing element to resist the stresses to which it is'subjected during'the cleaning action, Without significantly impairing the desired fiexibilityfof the sealing edgein a direction perpendicular to the sealing surface.

For a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and specific objects attained with it, reference should bev had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which we have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of our invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical section of a coke oven battery, taken on the line of-Fig. 2;- r

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the coke oven door and door frame shownin Figs. 1 and 2,

one, plane parallel to the plane of the section showninFigl; H v I Fig. 4 is anelevation illustrating a modification of the retaining hook shown in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5' and 6 are diagrammatic elevations, at 5 right angles to Fig. 1, of door carried sealing elements difiering in form from one another and from the sealing elements shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

sealingmember having special rim strengthening provisions. y I y In the drawing we have illustrated the use of the present'invention in a coke oven door and door frame construction of known type, except if in respect to the. special resilient pressure and locking means provided in accordance with the present 1 invention. The coke oven, door illustrated, comprises 'a rigid outer frame or supportingsection, a fiexible sealing member and an inner plug section. Said outer section in- .cludes main vertical channel bar members I,

the flexible sealing member of the door through 35 connecting means which need notbe illustrated or described since they may be of known form, such, for example, as that shown in the Otto U, S.

'Patent 1,827,329. The brick work 6 of the plug,

section of the door, rests upon a supporting 4o metallic shoe 5, which may be connected in a known manner to, and is directly supported by the sealing; member 2. I

The door shown in Figs; 1-3, is locked in its closed position by upper and lower locking bars 45 1.= Inthe closed and locked condition of the door, each bar l has each end in engagement as shown in Fig. 3, with the inclined surface 8 or inner edge of the uprising hook portion of a corresponding door retaining hook member 8. 50 The hook members, Bare secured to the doorframe member at the opposite sides of the doorway in position for engagement by the ends of the two. locking bars. In the construction i1-' I lustrated, eachlocking barl has an anti-friction Fig; '7 is a perspective view of a portion of a 1'0' roller revol /ably mounted on each of its ends, for rolling engagement with the corresponding edge t. Each locking bar '5 is mounted on a corresponding support comprising a bolt iii extending in the axial direction of the door, midway between the sides of the latter, and comprising a supporting body or cross head ii mounted for sliding movement in the axial direction of the door, in a guideway Hi formed in the corresponding horizontal part it, extending between and connecting the channels 5.

The bolt 6 ii is in threaded engagement with the cross head H and has its outer end l2 square for wrench engagement. By varying the extent to which the bolt it is screwed into the cross head i i, the effective length of the locking bar support may be varied. A spring i3 acts between the inner end of the cross head i l and the member in the direction tending to move the locking bar outwardly away from the sealing member of the door, and from the sealing surface l which it normally engages. A bolt 83' may be extended axially through each spring 93 to form a connection between each part 55 and the corresponding cross head ii, limiting its outward movement in its guide head i l, when the locking bar is not in engagement with the corresponding hook members 8. Each bolt iii extends through, and is so mounted on the corresponding locking bar i, that the bolt may be rotated relative to the bar, but is not movable relative to the latter in the direction of its length. As shown, there is a spline connection comprising a screw 95' between each cross head part H and guide member l5. As shown also, lugs or projections Hi secured to the channel bars 5, prevent turning movement of the locking bars about the axis of its supporting bolt iii. Adjustable clamping connections I], of any usual or suitable form, may be provided between the rigid outer section of the door and the flexible sealing member engaging the latter adjacent the margin of the plate 2, to bend the sealing member as required to make the contour of its sealing edge conform to the shape of the sealing surface l.

In the normal contemplated operation, with the door of Figs. 1-3 in its closed and locked position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, the force with which each sealing bar presses outwardly against the edges 8' of the two corresponding retaining hook members 8, is determined by and equal to the compression force to which the corresponding spring 81-3 is then subjected. The compression forces to which the two springs id of each door are subjected collectively determine the sealing pressure between the door frame 4 and sealing rim or edge 3 of the door. The compression force to which each spring it is then subjected and thereby the sealing pressure, may be adjusted by varying the extent to which the corresponding bolt ill is screwed into the corresponding cross head or support H. The door may be moved out of its closed and locked position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, by an upwardly acting force impressed upon the rigid outer section of the door by a vertically movable door machine arm or lifting element it, which in its upward movement engages a lifting shoulder or part l9 provided for the purpose on the rigid outer section of the door.

As the door machine raises the door'from its closed position, in which the weight of the door is sustained by the door frame 3, the sealing edge portion 3 of the sealing member is moved along the sealing surface l of the door frame 4, while pressed against the latter by the springs 13.

While owing to the inclination of the edges 8', the pressure between the sealing edge and door frame sealing surface will progressively diminish as the door is raised sufliciently to permit the rollers 9 to clear the upper ends of the hook portion of the member 8, nevertheless, during the initial portion of the door removing, and the final portion of the door replacing operation, the said pressure is adequate to subject sealing surface 3 and edge 3 tosubstantial cleaning action.

To augment the cleaning action, the retaining members 8 of the construction first described may be replaced by the retaining members 8a shown in Fig. 4. As shown, the latter differ from the retaining member 8 only in that the inner edge of the uprising hook portion of each member 8a, comprises a vertical portion lI-I below, and into which the inclined edge portion H emerges. The vertical edge portions 8" are so disposed that in the closed and locked position, portion 8 is engaged by the roller 9 at the corresponding locking bar end, at an appreciable distance below the lower end of the inclined edge portions 8. The vertical movement of the door, occurring while the locking bars are in operative engagement with the hook edge portions 8", result in movement of the sealing 3 along the sealing surface 4, while said edge is pressed against said surface with the full sealing pressure. If desirable, the cleaning action due to the vertical movement of the door may be supplemented by a horizontal movement of the door in a direction parallel to the sealing surface 1". Such movement may be given to the door by any ordinary door machine having provisions for effecting its movement in the direction of the length of the battery.

To give the sealing member additional capacity to resist distortion by the stresses to which it is subjected when the door is moved vertically with its sealing edge 3 pressed against the sealing surface 4 as above described, in lieu of a sealing member 2 having the usual rectangular outline, we may employ the special sealing member form 2a shown in Fig. 5, in which the upper and lower end portions 3a of the flat sealing plate and the adjacent rim portions are of rounded arch form shown in Fig. 5, or may employ a sealing member 21), having its end portions 31) of the different arch form shown in Fig. 6. Alternatively, or additionally, the end portions and, if desired, the side portion also, of the sealing rim, and the marginal. portion of the plate 2, may be strengthened by reinforcing web parts 2!! welded to the sealing rim 3 at the corners of the latter, and each welded both to the rim 3 and to the plate 2, the plane of each part 26 being perpendicular to the adjacent portion of the rim 3 and to the body plate 2.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is characterized, by the advantageous cleaning action provided, and by the inherent mechanical simplicity and effectiveness of the resilient sealing pressure and locking means provided, and also by the capacity of the door to be moved into and out of its closed and locked position, by a door machine having only such door lifting and lowering provisions as are commonly provided for removing and replacing coke oven doors having manually operable locking means.

As those skilled in the art will understand, changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the ap-' pended claims and in some cases, use may be made of certain features without corresponding use of other features. I

Having now described our invention, what we membermounted on said door at its outer side tomove toward and away from the 'door and adapted to engage said surface, and be thereby given movement toward said door when said door is lowered into its closed position, and resilient means acting between said locking member and door and opposing said movement of the locking member'toward said door, and thereby forcing said seat" engaging means against said seat, as said door is lowered into itsclosed position. A

2.- A self-sealing coke oven door adapted to close a doorway in a coke oven structure having a sealing surface surrounding said doorway, and havingdoor holding means comprisinga surface in front of and'inclined upwardly and away from said surface, said doorcomprising a flexible sealingmember adapted to engage said sealing surface, a locking member'mountjed on said door at its outer side to move toward and away from the door and adapted to engage said inclined surface, and be therebygiven movementtoward said door when the latter is lowered into its closed position, and resilient means actingbetween said locking member and door, and opposing movement of said locking member toward said door and thereby forcing said sealing member against said sealing surface as said door is lowered into its closed position 3. A coke oven door as specified inclaim 1, in

which said locking member is mounted on a support extending and movable in a direction parallel to the door axis and. adjustable in length, and forming a strut interposed in series with said resilient means between said door and locking member. 4

4. A coke oven door as specified in claim 1, in which said locking means is a locking bar with rollers journalled on its ends and each adapted to engage portions of inclinedsurface at opposite sides of the door.

5. The combination with a horizontal coke oven structure having a horizontal doorway and a sealing surface surrounding said doorway and substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof and having uprising hooks at the opposite sides of the door, each of said hooks having a lower por-' tion of its edge adjacent said surface substantially parallel to the latter, and having an upper edgeportion inclined upwardly and outwardly from said lower edge portion, and a self-sealing coke oven door adapted to be lowered into position to 1 close said doorway and comprising a door body, flexible sealing means supported by said body and engaging said sealing surface in the closed position of the door, a locking bar mounted on said body to move: toward and away from the latter and adapted to engage said hooks and move downwardly along their inclined upper edge portions during an initial portion and to move downwardly along the said lowerportions of the hook edges, as the door is being lowered into its hooks.

closed" position, and resilient, means supported by said'body and acting between the latter and said bar and adapted to press said sealing'means inwardly against said surface and to press: said locking bar outwardly against said hooks when said locking bar is between'sa'idsurfac'e and said 6. In the operation of ahorizontal coke 'oven having a substantially vertical metallic sealing surface'surrounding" adoorway atrthe end of an oven chamber, and having 'a plugdoor normally closing said doorway" and comprising a re-. fractoryplug body extending into and sufficiently smaller than said doorway in cross. section to adapt it for a limited movement in said doorway in a direction parallel to said-surface, and havmg flexible sealing means including a sheet metal partigextending perpendicularly to said surface with its edge-in engagement therewith when the door isin theclosed position, the method of cleaningsaid edge-'andsurface which consists in movingthe door relative to the doorway in a direction parallel to'said surface 'whileimpr'essing a yieldingforce on said-sheetmeta'l part and thereby pressing the edge of "said part against said-surface,

' -7. In a combination horizontal coke oven structure having a substantially. vertical sealing surface surroundinga doorwayat the end of an oven chamber, a' self sea1irlg-Dlug door normally closing saiddoorway and. comprising'a refractory; body extending in-to and substantially filling. the doorway "when the door is in its closed position;

but of somewhat less vertical extent than said doorway to permit of a limited vertical movement of the door "in said doorway toward and away from a lower closed position of the door, said door comprising flexible sealing means including a sheet metal part adapted to extend perpendicularly to said surface with its edge inengagement therewith and means for releasably connecting said structure and door to hold the latter in its closed position and adapted to subject said door to a resilient force pressing said edge against said surface when said door is in its closed position and while moving vertically toward and away from its closed position.

8. In combination a" horizontal coke oven structure having a substantially vertical sealing surface surrounding a doorway at the end of an oven chamber, a self-sealing plug door normally closing said doorway and comprising a refractory body extending into and substantially filling the doorway when the door is in its closed position, but of somewhat less vertical extent than said doorway to permit of a limited vertical movement of the door in said doorway down into, and up out of. a lower closed position and, said door comprising flexible sealing means including a sheet metal part adapted to extend perpendicularly to said surface with its edge in engagement therewith and means for releasably connecting said structure and door to hold the latter in its closed position and adapted to subject said door to a resilient v force pressing said edge against said surface when said door is in its closed position and while moving vertically toward and away from its closed position, said sealing means having upper and lower end portions of arch form, whereby said portions are strengthened to resist stresses tending to incline said part to said surface. 4

9. In combination a horizontal coke oven structure having a substantially vertical sealing surface surrounding a doorway at the end of an up out of a lower closed position, said door com prising flexible sealing means including a sheet metal part adapted to extend perpendicularly to said surface with its edge in engagement therewith, means for releasably connecting said structure and door to hold the latter in its closed position and adapted to subject said door to a resilient force pressing said edge against said surface when said door is in its closed position and while moving vertically toward and away from its closed position and reinforcing parts secured to the said sheet metal part and stifiening the latter against bending movement about an axis parallel to said surface when said part is in enagernent with said surface.

10. The combination with a coke oven structure having a door seat and door holding means having a surface in front of and inclined upwardly and away from said seat, of a self-sealing coke oven door comprising a body and flexible sealing means supported by said body and adapted to be lowered into its closed position with said sealing means in engagement with said seat, a locking member mounted on said door body for movements toward and away from the latter, and resilient means acting between said door and locking member and tending to move the latter away from said door, said locking member being adapted to engage said surface and move downwardly along the latter as the door is lowered into its closed position to thereby compress said spring and force the door against its seat.

11. A combination as specified in claim 10, in which said holding means has a surface below said inclined surface and parallel to said seat, and adapted tobe engaged by said door in a final portion of the lowering movement of the door into its closed position.

12. In a self-sealing coke oven door, the combination with a plug section of refractory material, a sealing member at the outer side of said plug section and comprising a substantially flat, flexible, metal plate, a thin flexible metallic sealing rim extending perpendicularly away from the inner side of said plate adjacent the margin of the latter and surrounding and spaced away from the outer portion of said plug section and adapted to have its edge remote from the plate in sealing engagement with a coke oven door frame sealing surface surrounding a doorway into which said plug section extends and metal parts secured to and connecting said rim and plate and extending transversely to said rim and plate and increasing the resistance of the rim to stresses tending to change its angle of inclination to said plate.

CARL OTTO. EBERI-IARD GRASSHOFF. 

